USGBC Honors Green Building Leaders The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) honored 2007's green-building leaders during its annual Leadership Awards celebration. The USGBC Leadership Awards recognize companies and individuals who signify vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of green-building design and construction. Awards were presented in six categories: community, education, LEED, organizational excellence, research, and advocacy...[MORE]

DOE Increases Energy-Efficiency Standards for Furnaces and Boilers The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) increased energy-efficiency standards for residential furnaces and boilers. The DOE estimates that the amended standards, which will become effective in 2015, will save approximately 0.25 quadrillion (10x15) British thermal units (Btu) of energy or the equivalent of the total amount of energy consumed by 2.5 million American households in one year, over a period of 24 years [2015 to 2038]...[MORE]

Green Globes Platform The Green Building Initiative released a new interactive platform for its Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system. Improvements to the system include a project dashboard, a running-total stage-status box, and a new navigation aide on project pages...[MORE]

Prison Receives 'Green' Certification The state of Washington's largest prison, which houses 2,500 men, is adding low-energy lights, collected rainwater for flushing toilets, and fresh-air ventilation. This solitary-confinement facility, located in Monroe, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council ...[MORE]

Engineers Begin Critical 'Cooling Down' of Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault Refrigeration units began pumping air deep into an Arctic mountain cavern and launched the "cooling down" phase of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. This vault will serve as a fail-safe repository of some of the world's vital food crops. Svalbard began its "Polar Night" period, during which there is 24 hrs of complete darkness. Engineers launched an energy-efficient refrigeration system that, over the next two months, will bring the temperature of the sandstone rock surrounding the seed vault from its current 23 degrees F) down to about 0 degrees F)....[MORE]

Websites Offering Tips and Education for a Green Future

The Green Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the city of Seattle launched The Green Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods, a Web-based resource providing strategies, tips, and tools for cities and counties to take immediate action on climate change through green building, green neighborhoods, and sustainable infrastructure...[MORE]

Greenbuild365.org The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with a $1 million donation from United Technologies Corp., launched the education Website Greenbuild365.org. This site features free and fee-based courses on green-building technologies and innovations, along with practical training to apply Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to building design, construction, and operation....[MORE]

Green Scene The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Scene is a Website that posts videos, downloadable podcasts, and transcripts on environmental issues explored by EPA's top experts. Officials discuss how EPA is helping to protect the environment, while providing the public with useful tips and information on how they can make a difference in their communities...[MORE]

HPAC Engineering Co-Sponsor of Global Engineering Conference Designed for global consulting and design engineers, Carrier Corp.'s 10th Global Engineering Conference, co-sponsored by HPAC Engineering, features new technology and engineering topics in the HVAC industry. The event will focus on designing and building for sustainability and will take place April 9-11, 2008, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas...[MORE]

Latest White Papers

Data breaches and other cyber crime cost companies billions each year worldwide, and the damage to brand reputation can be incalculable. Since hackers look for weakly defended systems to attack, this paper presents 5 cybersecurity “best practices” to mitigate system vulnerabilities. Some are commonsense measures like effective password management; others involve securing open ports and other access points, software upgrades, user management, and vulnerability plans....More

A top priority for higher education institutions is to provide a competitive learning environment for their students. In order to succeed, they must address outdated, aging campus facilities. In these older buildings maintenance and operations costs are high, space utilization is inefficient and poorly managed, and current technology is lacking. This white paper explores four strategies for converting campus facilities into a network of smart buildings that address the needs of current and future students....More